Torn
by NorthernNinja
Summary: Tori Berkely is by no means an ordinary girl, but she only finds this out for herself one day on a summer trip. A series of new discoveries, new friendships, new tears, and even new romance lead to Tori's decision that she's been trying to avoid: should she embrace her differences, or try and live normally like she was in the blissful past?


Tori sat on the edge of the weathered wooden dock, one hand tracing the worn lines of the sun bleached planks. The lemon yellow rays of the sun shone down and warmed her long, dirty-blonde hair as well as her back, making Tori sleepy. She stifled a yawn as her dad zoomed by on their rented jet ski, and Tori had to cover her eyes as the now harsh sunlight beamed off of the gleaming white mobile. "Hey, you're blinding me!" The girl called nonetheless, smiling at her still-childlike dad.

"Wanna go for a ride?" He called from about ten yards away from the tiny dock, his dark chocolate mop of hair made caramel brown by day. Tori's dad, Daniel Berkley, or just Dan, was a pretty average looking guy. He stood at about six foot, maybe a bit more, his skin was always a little tanned, no matter what the season, and his face looked exactly his age. Although, that didn't save much for his behavior. Anyone would say that Mr. Berkley looked like a sophisticated business-man at first impressions, but his sparkling green eyes betrayed his childish behavior.

"Dad, I already told you that riding those things makes me feel sick!" Tori reminded him, slightly annoyed. Okay, fully annoyed. She wasn't irritated with her dad, just with the fact that she couldn't enjoy the speed and the thrill of skidding across water at high speeds, like any other thirteen year old girl.

"Oh, yes. I remember. But, the look on your face was priceless!" Her dad laughed, remembering last summer vacation they had taken to the lake, and how Tori had looked like a drugged out animal after surgery. Only paler, and less hairy. That summer, Tori had noted that her dad came up with the strangest similes. "Okay, well, I'm going to go around the lake a few more times. Are you going to be alright?"

Tori sighed exasperatedly, dramatically placing the back of her hand on her forehead. "Oh, daddy! I don't know what I'll do without you!"

Mr. Berkley chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes. Don't wander too far, okay?"

"Yea, sure." Tori waved him away and her dad sped off into the lake again, the engine roaring and spraying a few water drops onto Tori's legs. She wore only denim short-shorts and a T-shirt with flip flops, but there was no escaping the heat of the June day on the tiny fishing dock. "Jeez, what is it, two hundred degrees outside?" She mumbled as she pushed up from her sitting position on the old platform and brushed off the back of her shorts, which had accumulated a number of wood pieces that could easily become the all-to-dreadful splinter. Taking a last look at the sparkling lake, Tori admired the scenery.

The dock she had been sitting on barely penetrated into the huge body of pristine water that was laden with amazing Californian scenery. The lake was surrounded by the ever growing foothills of the Cascade Range, and amazing redwood forests blanketed the area like dark green and red-brown icing. There wasn't any sand to be found on the lake's shores, only soggy clay and red-tinted mud with a few gravely spots. From where Tori was standing, a few cabins and cars could be seen near the water's edges, and a huge, white summer home stood atop one of the large hills across from where the dock was. This was Tori and her dad's summer home. Her dad was very successful at work, and had accrued quite a large amount of money over the years.

Starting to sweat, Tori decided it was time to retreat into the cool shadows of the forest trails. She turned her back to the amazing view and stepped in the comforting cool of the trees, feeling instantly better. Tori knew most of this forest like the back of her hand, and she always felt at home among the huge trees and vibrant, green shrubbery. Her feet instinctively found her favorite path - one that ended in a rather large clearing where the sky was so clear that you felt like you could simply reach up and touch it. Walking down the thin, dark soiled path, Tori could practically hear her own heart beat it was so silent. Not many animals like to linger around this tourist attraction, since no matter how many laws were made, poachers would find a way.

Once she had reached the clearing, Tori happily flopped on her back onto what she knew to be the softest patch of grass, and her fingers automatically reached up to touch something that looked like a part of a strange headband. But Tori's horns were too real. There were two of them, both situated right where a headband would be worn. The protrusions were both a creamy white, and were silky soft to the touch, although hard as rocks. The indentions in the front of each triangular horn made them resemble a pair of cat ears. Normally, this kind of thing would freak any thirteen year old out, knowing she had a pair of two and a half inch horns growing out of her head. But Tori was not 'any thirteen year old girl'.

Tori was born with the horns. When they had shown up on the ultrasound, the doctor had said they might be life threatening deformities. However, by the time she was born, the horns had turned out to be as harmless as the fingernails growing out of her fingers. Although the horns themselves were no threat, trying to remove them would be unnecessary and dangerous, so they were left there. The doctors never figured out why Tori had been born with horns, but her parents never cared. Mr. Berkley had supported Tori ever since she was little, always saying things like, "They're what make you special." or, "Hey, miss Kitty." and, "They're cute." So at this point, messing with her horns as she relaxed or was bored was as natural as other girls playing with their hair.

The sleepiness from earlier must have taken over, because within ten minutes Tori had fallen asleep.

When she awoke, Tori didn't know how long it had been. Judging by the new orange and pink streaks forming in the sky, it was around six o' clock. Sitting up, she found that she had moved about six feet away from the spot she had fallen asleep in. Tori sighed. Knowing that she was a restless sleeper, Tori could never trust herself on a bunk bed. Or hardly a bed for that matter. Suddenly, she remembered that her dad would be looking for her and launched up from her spot on the ground. This created some dizziness. "Woah.." After she had been standing for a few more seconds, she turned to go back. But then Tori heard something behind her that sent chills up her spine.

It was a low growl among the soft rustling of the trees and bushes. It was a menacing warning. It was terrifying, and drove Tori's senses up the wall. Slowly, she turned to look at the creature that had made the sound. It's beige and black fur could be seen just barely through the shrubbery surrounding the clearing, but it's yellow eyes were clear as day. Tori hadn't known that mountain lions would travel this far into human territory, but that didn't matter now. What did matter was that one had most definitely come, and it was looking at Tori as prey.

Seconds seemed like hours as Tori attempted to slowly back out of the clearing and make a run for it once out of sight. However, she hadn't anticipated that the big cat would move if she barely took a step. But that's exactly what the big cat did.

The rest happened in a flash as Tori closed her eyes and screamed, preparing to be torn to shreds since she couldn't run. She felt something tingle in the small of her back for an instant, and then she heard a sickening crunch and the sound of blood spurting. That's probably me, isn't it? She thought, eyes still closed in anticipation of feeling incredible pain any moment. Any moment now.

After a few more seconds of standing with her eyes closed and her hands up against her chest, she opened them, revealing a scene she had never thought possible.

In front of her was the cougar, laying on the ground in two, cleanly cut pieces with blood everywhere. Pooling on the ground, speckled on nearby grass, and on Tori. The blood was on Tori too. She screamed again, just in the horror of the sight, and the dreadful sound echoed through the forest, like a tornado siren before a storm.


End file.
